McFarland, the team's first-round draft choice, will not make the Bucs' first practice today after the two sides suspended talks Sunday night and will resume discussions today.

``If you would have asked me Wednesday, was this deal going to happen, my answer would have been yes. But it didn't,'' said Bucs General Manager Rich McKay. ``I'm perplexed and probably a little disappointed. I don't think these things need to happen.''

The other 83 Bucs arrived at the University of Tampa on time, including rookie quarterback Shaun King and defensive tackle Chidi Ahanotu. Ahanotu signed a new six-year, $30 million contract Friday, and King agreed to terms Saturday night.

McFarland became the first Bucs' holdout since Warrick Dunn missed five days of the team's 1997 camp. McFarland's agent, Karl Bernard, did not return telephone calls seeking comment.

But Bernard did talk to Bucs Coach Tony Dungy earlier Sunday, and Dungy encouraged him to get his client in camp as soon as possible. Two-a-day practices last only 20 days this year.

``I told him, `You do a good job of negotiating, but we think we do a good job of getting players prepared to play, and we feel we need to start now,''' Dungy said. ``It's not like we've got any built-in extra [days) for that.''

McFarland, the 15th overall choice, is expected to receive a contract between $6.1 million and $6.25 million over five seasons.

McFarland, who had 17 sacks in his four seasons at Louisiana State, had been expected to contend for playing time behind starters Warren Sapp and Brad Culpepper. But McKay said a prolonged holdout could affect McFarland's standing.

``I'm concerned,'' McKay said. ``It's not like Warrick Dunn's situation, where he was a running back, so we felt comfortable that if it took us a day or two to finish the details, so be it.

``We're a pretty good defense with a lot of good players who are going to play up front. It's going to be hard for him to find his niche anyhow.''

NOTES: Pro Bowl linebacker Derrick Brooks sprained his right ankle Thursday while playing a pickup basketball game with boxer Roy Jones Jr. and a few friends in Pensacola.

``The thing now is with it being a short camp, I don't want it to be something that I'm trying to get well every week,'' Brooks said. ``I want it to heal. We'll go day by day and see how much I can do. ... I really want to be healthy when the season starts.''